Combination-padlock.



B. A. NEUMANN.

COMBINATION PADLOCK.

APPLICA'HON FILED APR. 15. 1918.

Patented Feb.11,1919.

, [NVE/V 701a.

% TT'ORNE Y BERNHARD A. NEUMANIIOF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM H. TIGERMAN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

COMBINATION-PADLOGK.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 11, 19 19.

Application filed April 15, 1918 Serial No. 228,584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNI-IARD A. NEU- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of WVyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Combination-Padlocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in combination padlocks.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel combination padlock which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and efiicient in operation, which may be easily unlocked by a person knowing the combination of the look, but which is very difficult to unlock by any person unacquainted with the combination.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved padlock, partly broken away and having the front half of the case removed.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a rear elevation of my improved padlock. V

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the broken line 4-4 of Fig. 1. 4

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

1 and 2 designate respectively the front and rear halves of the case, said halves being preferably permanently fastened together by means of shouldered rivets 3, 4, 5,6,7,8and9.

1O designates the usual padlock hasp, which is pivoted at one end within the case between the halves 1 and 2 on the rivet 3.

A locking member comprising, preferably, a pivoted latch 11, is mounted on the pivot 8 within the case, and at its free end is provided with a hook 12,.which is adapted to enter a notch 13 provided on the free end of the hasp lO'at the inner edge thereof. The latch 11 in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 holds the clasp 10 locked.

For forcing the latch 11 to the unlocked position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, I provide a manually movable operating member, -comprising, preferably, a longitudinally slidable plate 14, which is slidable intwo slots 15 and 16, which are provided respectively in the halves 1 and 2 of the case. The operating member 14 is provided at one edge with a projection or finger hold 17, which extends outwardly beyond the outer side of the case.

The side of the operating member 14 next to the latch 11- is provided With a lug 18 having-a beveled upper side and provided with a horizontal lower side which is adapted to engage the upper edge of the latch 11, so as to force the latter to the unlocked position, when the operating member 14 is forced downwardly to the unlocked position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

For obstructing the downward movement of the operating member 14, when the parts are in the locked position, shown in solid lines in Fig. 1, I provide a plurality of tumblers comprising, preferably, three wheels 19,. 20, and 21, which have the same axis and are oscillatably mounted in the case side by sidev upon the rivet 5. The tumbler 20 is located between the tumblers 19 and21 and is spaced apart from said tumblers by washers 22 mounted on the rivet 5.

v The tumblers 19, 20 and 21 are located in the path of movement of the operating member 14 and excepting in a pre-determined position, shown in Figs. 1 and 4, obstructthe movement ,of the operating member 14 from the locked to the unlocked position. The tumbler 19 is provided with a peripheral notch 23. The tumbler 20 is provided with a peripheral notch 24, and the tumbler 21 is, provided with a peripheral notch Each of these notches is adapted to receive the lower end of the operating member 14 to permit the latter to move radially to the unlocked position into the notches 23, 24

v and 25, when the tumblers are in the pre-.

cating finger v26, which, extends laterally through an arcuate slot 27 providedin the front side of the case, and which is concentric with the pivot, rivet or pin 5.

The tumbler 21 is provided withan indicating finger 28, which extends laterally through an arcuate slot 29 provided in the rear side of the case, and which is concentric with the rivet 5.

The tumbler 20'is provided with an inclicating finger 30 which extends outwardly from the periphery of the tumbler through an arcuate slot 31, which is provided at the arcuate lower end of the case between the two halves l and 2 thereof.

The indicating fingers 26, 28 and 30 eX- tend outwardly beyond the' surface of the case so that they may be manually engaged for the purpose of turning the tumblers to and from the unlocked position. The indicating fingers by striking the case at the ends of the slots limit the extent of oscillation of the tumblers.

In order that the operator may set the tumblers in the proper positions for unlocking, suitable indeXing means is provid d on the case. For this purpose, the outer Side'of the half 1 of the case is provided with a series of radial graduations 32, Fig. 2. The spaces between the graduations 32 are respectively inscribed with suitable characters. In the. structure shown in the drawing, there are fifteen such spaces which are respectively inscribed from right toleft with the characters 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, G, D, andE.v 7

The relative relationship between the indicating finger 26 and the notch '23 of the tumbler 19 is such that when the indicating finger 26 is in register with the space desig nated by the character 7, the notch 23 will be in position to receive the operating member 14.

The rear side of the case is provided with a series of radial graduations 33, similar to the graduations 32, and which form between them fifteen spaces, in the structure shown,

in which are inscribed the same characters as are inscribed on the opposite side of the case, but which are disposed in an order reverse to that of the other set of characters. The indicating finger 28, in the structure shown in the drawing, will register with the space 9, when the notch 25 of the tumbler 21 is in a position for receiving the operating member 14.

The indicating finger 30 of the tumbler 20 may cooperate with either set of num bered and lettered spaces. In the structure shown, when the indicating finger 30 isin register with either of the spacesmarked 1, the notch 24 will be in position to receive the operating member 14'.

Suitable frictional resistance to the movement of the tumblers 19, 20 and 21 is provided for preventing the accidental movement of, the tumblers from any of the fifteen positions to which they maybe moved."

For holdingthe tumblers 19 and 21 releas ably in any one of the fifteen positions, I provide a .fiat spring 34 which is provided 26 is in register with any one of the index space The periphery'of the tumbler 21 is provided with similar projections 88 adapted to cooperate in a like manner with the spring arm 36. r v 4 I The spring 34 is held in position by embracing the rivet 6 and engaging with the inner wall of the case.

For normally forcing the latch 11 to the locking position, I provide in the case a U- shaped spring 39, which embraces the rivet 7,'and which has one arm bearing against the under side of thelatch 11', between the rivet 8 and the opera-thig member 14. The other arm of the spring 39 bears against the upper edge of the tumbler 20, That portion of the periphery of the tumbler 20 against which the spring 39 bears is P110? vided with projections 40 corresponding in disposition and function to the projections 37 and 38 of the tumblers 19 and 21. v

For automatically forcing the hasp 10 to the open position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, when the hasp has been released from the latch 11, I provide a coil springv 41, Fig. 1, which encircles an obliquely disposed plate 42, which is held in position by the rivet 9 and the inner wall of the case. The lower end of the spring 41 bearsagainst the rivet 9, and the upper end is engaged with a hook 43, which is provided at the inner pivoted end of the hasp 10. The tension of the spring 41 issuch as will force the hasp 10 to the openposi'tion when the hasp is re-' leased from the latch 11. r

' In the operation of my invention, as illustrated in the drawing, the tumblers 19, 20 and 21 are turned by means of the indicating fingers 26, 30 and 28 to positions in which.

the indicating fingers will respectively register with the spaces marked 7, 1 and 9; The notches 23,24 and 25 will now be in register and in position to receive'the operating member 14. The operating member 14 is then forced downwardly bymeans of thefinger' hold 17, thu causing the lug 18' to engage the latch 'll'so as to swing the latter to the open position'against thepressure of the spring 39. As soon as'the latch 11 is released from the hasp 10, the latter will be forced to the open position by the spring41. 1

If the operator now releases the finger hold 17, the spring 39 will 'swing' the latch- 11 to the locked pojsitionshown in solid lines in Fig. 1, in which position the ihOOk 12 of the latch will be in position to engage the hasp. The latch in swinging to the locked position, Will engage the lug 18, thereby forcing the operating member 14 upwardly to its original position.

To look the padlock, the hasp is then swung to the closed position, and in passing to the closed position, it engages the upper side of the hook 12, thereby swinging the latch 11 to the open position, until the hook enters the notch 13 and holds the hasp in the locked position. The operator then turns the tumblers, by means of the indicating fingers 26, 28 and 30, from the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby obstructing the path of movement of the operating member 14 and locking the padlock.

It will be noted that the intermediate tumbler 20 is of larger diameter than the tumblers 19 and 21, This enables the intermediate tumbler 20 to enter the slot 31, so as to prevent any one observing the position of the notches 23 and 25 in the adjacent tumblers, and also from inserting anything through the slot 31 for determining the location of said notches. I

By having the tumblers all mounted side by side on the same axis and with peripheral notches, and employing an operating member 14 which is radially slidable into the notches, a very thin compact structure is afforded.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. A combination padlock having a hasp and a case, the case having two slots in opposite sides respectively and a slot in the edge of the case, three tumblers oscillatable in said case on an axis disposed transversely to said sides having said slots, the two tumblers respectively adjacent to said sides having each a finger extending parallel with said axis outwardly through the slot in the adjacent side of the case, the intermediate tumbler having a finger extending through the intermediate slot at right angles to said axis, each of said tumblers having a peripheral notch, a locking member for engaging and holding the hasp, and a manually radially movable operating member for forcing the locking member to the unlocked position, the operating member being movable into said notches to the unlocked position when the tumblers are in a predetermined position, the tumblers in any other position obstructing the movement of the operating member to the unlocked position.

2. A combination padlock having a hasp and a case provided with two slots in opposite sides respectively and a slot in one edge intermediate of said twosides, a locking member movable in the case for engaging and holding the hasp locked, three tumblers oscillatable on an axis transverse to said two sides, the tumblers extending respectively into said slots, the intermediate tumbler being of larger diameter than the other two tumblers, each tumbler having a peripheral notch, and a manually actuated operating member radially slidable in said case for engaging and forcing the locking member to the unlocked position, the tumblers obstructing the movement of the operating member to the unlocked position, excepting when said notches are in register with each other, and in the latter position permitting the operating member to move to the unlocked position and into said notches.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BERNI-IARD A. NEUMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

